


I'm Not Okay (I Promise)

by ScorchedPoet



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst with a Hopeful Ending, Atlas Falls AU, M/M, Possible Character Death, how are you still standing prompt, other characters mostly just mentioned, sorry its sad this time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-28
Updated: 2020-02-28
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:21:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22936246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScorchedPoet/pseuds/ScorchedPoet
Summary: Jaune doesn’t even have a chance to shout out a warning. All he can think about is running hard towards Marrow- he is closer than Cinder was and he has the chance to knock Marrow out of the way of the projectile so the moment he is in distance he lunges forward and knocks Marrow down onto the ground. He leans back and for a split second he thinks he’s done it. Until he looks down at Marrow’s horrified face as Jaune feels his own Aura shatter into pieces –
Relationships: Marrow Amin/Jaune Arc
Comments: 6
Kudos: 27
Collections: Golden Retriever





	I'm Not Okay (I Promise)

It’s so very cold down in Mantle when Jaune sees it happen. From their stolen ship all of them watch in horror as Atlas falls from the sky and crashes back down from where it had once emerged. He’s leaning heavily against Marrow who looks like he might just cry as he thinks about the people who may not have survived the descent. They couldn’t have known that it was going to happen- they would never have left the people behind- Never would have left the other ace-ops there if they had suspected this could be a possibility.

If they are to have any hope of saving people they would need to move quickly. And they would need to split off into smaller numbers to cover more ground, with Oscar missing it leaves a gap in team JNR that is starting to feel like a permanent cost for being in their team.

With everyone else splitting off with their partners, Jaune is reminded once again of the reason why his team is down to three members in the first place and looks at Marrow with concern as the Faunus just looks at him as if he was his ground now. Jaune knows he doesn’t deserve Marrow’s affection and his failings have cost him yet another friend.

Qrow looks miserable as he holds onto Clover’s shaking body. Tyrian had stuck him down with the very same poison that had once nearly claimed Qrow’s life and with everything falling apart around them it was unlikely they would be able to find anyone to help him in time but that was why Penny herself was going to be looking specifically for help for him while Qrow remained behind on the ship to defend him.

  
Jaune and Marrow were going to be trying to track down Neo and the lost relic. They were fairly confident that she had retreated back to Mantle instead of staying in Atlas- she was too clever to have been caught up in this mess after all. Jaune secretly hoped they wouldn’t find her- he was petrified of this being a repeat of the fall of Beacon. He and Marrow had fallen into some kind of comfortable middle ground around each other, having shared a few considerate kisses on occasion but both of them had been too scared to take the plunge properly and begin dating officially.

He can’t watch another person he loves walk off to their deaths for his safety. He can’t do it again. Jaune lets out a soft breath as Ren and Nora approach him and the three of them hold each other tight as if this would be the last chance they ever saw each other, they had been through so much that it would be foolish not to acknowledge the risk they were all taking. They were still officially wanted to boot.

  
They all reluctantly part ways when Marrow and Jaune are dropped off in the middle of a park in Atlas. The two don’t say anything to each other about how this park has meant a lot to them in the past, the stolen moments they had shared whilst here after helping with the children down in Mantle were something that they had never told anyone about. Only Qrow really knew as he had stumbled across them kissing there once and had given Marrow the shovel talk in response.

The park was nothing like it was then. It had been twisted as people had rioted in the streets and the furniture had been destroyed as Grimm had stormed through Mantle, there was blood staining the pavement and Jaune couldn’t bear to keep looking.

He risks a glance in Marrow’s direction and can see how his tail is hanging low between his legs as he looks around at the destruction. Jaune feels compelled to walk over to him and comfort him but he isn’t sure just how he can when he knows that Mantle was once Marrow’s home and now he had seen his new home come crashing down too. Jaune couldn’t help but feel this was all his fault. What right did he have?

  
Jaune jumps slightly when Marrow takes his hands between his own with a soft sigh, looking at him sadly as he searches his face for some kind of response.  
“You don’t get to take all the blame for this Jaune. This is as much the General’s fault as anyone else’s.” Marrow says softly as he presses closer to Jaune who can’t help but lean closer to rest his head against Marrow’s with a choked sob. “We will get through this.”

They both look at each other before crashing their lips together. Moving to hold each other as they are all too aware of how bittersweet it feels to be here now. Jaune had been terrified of never seeing Ren or Nora again but he wasn’t sure he could lose Marrow after how close he had let him into his heart. Losing Pyrrha had left him broken for a long time and he didn’t think he could recover if he lost Marrow now.

  
Someone clears their throat audibly and the pair jump apart as they immediately lift their weapons up and ready themselves for trouble. Jaune feels his skin crawling as he gazes at the smirking fall of Cinder Fall. This can’t be happening!

Marrow doesn’t understand why Jaune begins to tremble beside him but he can see that the woman in front of them doesn’t mean them well. He throws Fetch towards her and takes off running to engage just as Jaune shouts out for him to stay with him. He glances back to see his terrified face before locking eyes with Cinder.

  
Cinder’s eyes burn like fire as she knocks Fetch away as if it was nothing. Marrow’s eyes go wide as he lunges to the right to avoid as she swings at him with her weapon but she reacts as if he is a minor inconvenience. When she swings again Jaune has finally moved as he blocks her next strike with his shield as he glares at her.

She sneers at him before her face falls back into a smirk. “What? You trying to save this one? How well has that worked out for you so far Jaune?” she expects him to lunge at her in anger but instead he seems more interested in trying to get Marrow up from the floor as he holds his shield out in front of them in horror. “Marrow- Just run! We can’t beat her!” his voice is shaking and it amuses her to no end. The dog Faunus rises to his feet and hesitates about doing what he asks but eventually grabs at Jaune’s hand to try and pull him away quickly.

Jaune smacks his hand away with a soft noise. “I’ll hold her off. Just go!” and he hears as Cinder just laughs at him. Marrow narrows his eyes but nods as he runs quickly away from them, but instead of running away from the fight he goes sprinting towards where his weapon has been knocked away.

Cinder suddenly frowns and Jaune looks understandably confused until he seeks the look in her eye as she looks past him and he makes the mistake of looking back at Marrow in concern- she immediately knocks him over with a blast of flames, his shield goes flying from his hand and he scrambles back up to his feet and looks over to the right where he knows his shield must have landed- but he sees Cinder throwing her spear with exact precision and he knows that Marrow’s got his back turned to her.

Jaune doesn’t even have a chance to shout out a warning. All he can think about is running hard towards Marrow- he is closer than Cinder was and he has the chance to knock Marrow out of the way of the projectile so the moment he is in distance he lunges forward and knocks Marrow down onto the ground. He leans back and for a split second he thinks he’s done it. Until he looks down at Marrow’s horrified face as Jaune feels his own Aura shatter into pieces – and he sees the wound in his chest as blood starts to seep out of the damage to his chest plate and he lets out a pained cough as he tries to force himself back to his feet despite Marrow’s hands reaching for him to try and pull him back down as if he could protect him.

The spear dissolved into smoke as soon as Cinder had summoned her sword with a smirk on her face and all Marrow can do is rush back to his feet as he grips Jaune tightly and tries to press his hands against the wound as it bleeds heavily.

Marrow starts to talk at him frantically and Cinder just watches them with a bored expression as Jaune struggles to stay standing as he aches, he drags his feet towards where he can see his shield and lifts it back up as Marrow follows him close behind with a horrified look on his face. “Jaune- Jaune stop! How are you still standing-“he chokes on his tears as he sees the damage on Jaune’s back as well.

  
He had underestimated Cinder and this was his fault. Marrow hauls Jaune back into his arms and points his finger at Cinder before practically screaming ‘Stay!` for a moment he fears it hasn’t worked but when she remains still he quickly drags an increasingly non responsive Jaune as far away as he can as he scoops up Fetch and ducks them both down into a dark alleyway before falling silent as he holds Jaune close.

He thinks Jaune must be going into shock as he has stopped talking and seems to only stare at him whenever he says anything to him. The wound is still bleeding and he doesn’t understand how it could just pierce right through Jaune’s aura. Marrow uses his jacket to press against the wound on Jaune’s back and holds him close to his chest- he can feel the blood soaking into his shirt as he lets out a broken sob as Jaune smiles at him weakly.

Marrow can barely get out his words as he begs Jaune to stay with him, questioning him at the same time. “Why would you do that!” he practically whispers the words numbly. Jaune just looks at him as if he was the sun and wheezes out a response. “Couldn’t lose you… love you… too much.” before passing out in Marrow’s arms as the Faunus desperately tried to rouse him awake again. But he wasn’t getting any response from the man- he presses his fingers to Jaune’s neck and he listens carefully for his pulse and lets out a shaky breath when he realizes how weak it is.

But the fact that his heart is still beating is the best thing he’s heard all day.

Marrow holds his scroll in his shaking hands and tries not to acknowledge how much blood is on it as he calls up the first person that comes up on his list of contacts.

  
He doesn’t really expect it to be Blake. But when she answers he breaks down and her and Yang say they’ll be there as soon as they can be with help. They tell him to keep Jaune alive and that they’ll bring Penny to him- and that there is a small chance that Penny’s new Maiden powers may be able to help the fatally wounded Jaune. He can hear in their tones how terrified they really are and he knows that they aren’t nearly as confident in that being a possibility as they are trying to make him believe.

Jaune remains almost deathly still in his arms and he notices as rain starts to fall on Jaune’s face. But to his confusion when he looks up it’s not raining at all.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for the angst i love my boys. Written using the prompt 'How Are You Still Standing' and my goal was 2000 words which i hit! :)


End file.
